Judicial system

Ahmadi Muslims in Pakistan continue to be persecuted, prosecuted, humiliated, harassed, tortured and subjected to target killings. In the very recent past hundreds of Ahmadis have been murdered for their faith and belief and this horrifying brutality continues under the very eyes of the Government who take no notice or action and blatantly allow the […]

As revealed by our recently published 2012/13 Annual Review, Sri Lanka surged ahead to become the top country of origin for those referred to Freedom from Torture for clinical services in 2012. Of 1,301 people referred to us for torture rehabilitation and forensic documentation services in 2012, 228 were of Sri Lankan nationality. The vast majority […]

Sunila Abeysekera passed away yesterday in Colombo. Born in 1952 she stood for the liberal values of equality, liberty and human rights at a very dark period in her country. By 1962, at the age of ten, a section of the country’s elite attempted a military coup. This coup symbolised the disillusionment of an important […]

We are forwarding this appeal made on behalf of Ravaya Publication To All Friends, Standing up for media freedom and independence in Sri Lanka Dear colleagues and friends, As you know by now, we as a group have been for the past two months campaigning to raise 20 million SL rupees (US $ 154,000 apprx.) […]

Download the full text of the report ( PDF) (Word) In her media statement from Colombo on 31 August 2013, Dr. Navi Pillay, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said, “I am deeply concerned that Sri Lanka, despite the opportunity provided by the end of the war to construct a new vibrant, all-embracing state, […]

We need to define the concepts of multiculturalism, uniculturalism and monoculturalism before entering into a debate on their application, practice and future direction in Sri Lanka. Multiculturalism refers to that trend in the society where the different cultures are made inclusive, tolerated and accommodated, and these trends are institutionalised in legislation to respect other cultures. […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is concerned about the continued and arbitrary detention of Mr. Adilur Rahman Khan Secretary of Odhikar. The AHRC has learned that the government has introduced new allegations against Mr. Nasiruddin Elan, the Director of Odhikar, in an attempt to detain Elan as well, so as to absolutely cripple the functioning of the […]

(Hong Kong, September 6, 2013) Sylvia Patricia Sarmiento, daughter of torture victim Aristedes Sarmiento, writes about her father, and how she and her family, have struggled because of her father’s torture and repeated arrest and detention on false charges. She wrote this in an article which she shared with the Asian Human Rights Commission. Sylvia, […]

Peoples’ Rights Forum, Assam and groups working on the Right to Food are relieved that the Government of India, after dragging its feet for over four years since 2009 when it announced its intention to legislate a right to food, finally ensured the passage of the National Food Security Act. This Bill has been brought forward […]

After nine years of trial, on September 3 Stella Estremera, editor-in-chief of Sun.Star Davao; and Antonio Ajero, the newspaper’s former publisher, were convicted by a local court in Digos City for a criminal case of libel. They were convicted based on the complaint of Baguio Saripada, a former city government employee, after his name was […]

We wish to share the following Fact Finding Report conducted by All India Dalit Mahila Adhikar Manch to ascertain facts in the case of alleged rape and murder of Dalit girl in Jind district of Haryana, India.   A Fact Finding report by All India Dalit Mahila Adhikar Manch forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission All […]

A delegation of the Friday Forum met recently with the Commissioner of Elections Mr Mahinda Deshapriya with a view to initiating a constructive exchange of views on measures taken by him to ensure free and fair provincial elections.  Mr. Deshapriya emphasised the responsibilities of the public and the voters in these elections to be vigilant […]

  Aristedes Sarmiento. Photo: Worker’s Assistance Center (WAC) On July 16, 2013 Aristedes Sarmiento, was one of five men released after they were exonerated by the Courts from fabricated charges laid on them in August 20, 2008.  However, Samiento was again arrested for another murder, again on trumped-up charges. In April 2006, when Sarmiento and […]

An Open Letter from the Asian Human Rights Commission to the Home Minister of Nepal Mr. Madhav Prasad Ghimire Home Minister Government of Nepal Simha Darbar, Kathmandu NEPAL Fax: +977 1 42 11 232 Dear Sir, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to voice its deepest concern regarding the sharp deterioration in the health of […]

An Open Letter from the Asian Human Rights Commission to the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Nepal Mr. Khil Raj Regmi Chairman -Council of Ministers Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers of Nepal Simha Darbar, Kathmandu NEPAL Fax: +977 1 4211086 Email: info@opmcm.gov.np Dear Sir NEPAL: An urgent call to save […]

A response to Dr. Mark Cooray’s defence of the impeachment of the Chief Justice (This article initially appeared in GALLE –Law Journal- 2013 Vol. 2) “We have every reason to be proud of the fact that our judicial system has been adopted in so many different parts of the world. At the heart of it is […]

ICAED’s Voice: Honor the Disappeared through incessant call for States’ Accession to the Anti-Disappearance Convention  It has been 32 years ago since our Latin American sisters and brothers from the Latin American Federation of Associations of Relatives of Disappeared-Detainees (FEDEFAM) initiated the commemoration of what is now officially recognized by the United Nations as the […]

Today, 30 August 2013, is the International Day of Victims of Enforced Disappearance. According to the UN Resolution A/RES/65/209 adopted in the Sixty-fifth Session of the General Assembly, the 30th day of August has been declared, and has been so observed since 2011, as the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearance every year. This Resolution […]

After the Anti-Torture Law was enforced, there have been two widely publicized torture videos where police officers were caught on camera torturing suspects in their custody. The first was in August 2010; the perpetrator was Joselito Binayug. The second was in June this year and the perpetrator was none other than Alfredo Lim, a former […]

Last week a shocking story was revealed in the media. On August 21 2013 P. Chandana Thushara Peiris, (32), the father of one child was arrested by the Moratuwa police and severely tortured to force him to confess to having possessed bombs and having committed several other crimes. When the family learned about the arrest […]